Cellular wireless, like other forms of wireless communication, is an increasingly popular means of personal communication in the modern world. Consumers use cellular wireless networks for the exchange of voice and data over cellular telephones, PDAs, cellular telephone modems and other devices. In principle, a user can communicate over the Internet or call anyone over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) from any place inside the coverage area of the cellular wireless network.
In a typical cellular wireless system, an area is divided geographically into a number of cell sites, each defined by a radio frequency (RF) radiation pattern from a respective base transceiver station (BTS) tower. Each BTS in a cell is in turn coupled with a base station controller (BSC). And the BSC is then coupled to or functionally integrated with a switch (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)) and/or gateway (e.g., a packet data serving node (PDSN)) that provides connectivity with a transport network such as the PSTN or a public or private IP network (e.g., the Internet).
When a wireless device, such as a cellular phone or a Personal Digital Assistant (“PDA”) is positioned in a cell, the wireless device may communicate via an RF air interface with the BTS of the cell. A communication can thus be established between the wireless device and another entity on the transport network, via the air interface, the BTS, the BSC and the switch or gateway.
Before a wireless device can engage in cellular or packet-data communication, the wireless device must be activated for both services within a service provider's network. Activation can be carried out at the point of sale, such as at a retail store where the user buys the wireless device and subscribes to service. In that scenario, a sales technician may collect subscriber billing information such as name, address and credit card number, and establish an account for the user of the device. The service provider may then assign a Mobile Identification Number (MIN), username and other activation data to the device and record that data in connection with the user's account, and the technician may program that data into the device for later use.
Alternatively, the activation process can be carried out over the air. An Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) feature gives wireless service providers the ability to provision a wireless device remotely over the air interface instead of activating the devices at the point of sale. OTASP also allows providers to then modify an activated device's network parameters over the air, directly from the network.
To activate an OTASP-capable wireless device, a user makes a call to a service provider's customer service center, usually by dialing a service-provider-specific feature code and appropriate supplementary digits. The feature code results in the establishment of a voice call between the user and the service provider's customer service center. Subscriber billing information, such as a credit card number or mailing address, may be obtained before the customer service center starts the OTASP procedure.
Once the call to the customer service center is established, the wireless device's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) is supplied to the service provider's network. Then, an entity in the service provider's network will upload some Number Assignment Module (NAM) parameters from the wireless device. The NAM is a set of MIN and IMSI-related parameters that are stored in the wireless device's memory and used for mobile identification. The customer service center may also request that the wireless device upload other configuration parameters, such as mobile protocol and software versions, and any preferred roaming lists, if available. Then, if required, the service provider's network and the wireless device will exchange Authentication Key Generation parameters and generate an A-key. The A-key is used as a secure input during the mobile authentication process. After the A-key has been successfully generated, a Shared Secret Data (SSD) update procedure is performed. The purpose of the SSD update is to synchronize the SSD value stored in both the wireless device and an authentication center in the service provider's network. Like the A-key, the SSD value is used during the authentication process.
If the wireless device fails authentication, the wireless device may be denied service by the service provider, and the activation process will be terminated. If the wireless device is successfully authenticated by the customer service center, the service representative will perform the following: (i) assign a MIN to the wireless device; (ii) determine subscriber service needs; (iii) create a subscriber profile record in the service provider network's activation data base; and (iv) assign other NAM parameters needed by the wireless device.
Then, the service provider's network will transmit the required NAM parameters to the wireless device over the air interface. Thus, if the activation is successful, the wireless device or a signal received from the service provider's network may provide validity feedback to the user indicating that activation was completed successfully. If activation was completed successfully, cellular service can then begin for the wireless device.
In addition, a wireless device that is capable of engaging in packet-data communication (e.g., IP communication) may have a username and password that the device can use to gain packet network connectivity and to engage in packet-data communication. Typically, the username will be assigned by the wireless carrier and will be programmed into the wireless device. The username may take the form of a Network Access Identifier (NAI), and the password may be a predefined hash based on the device's unique ESN.
When such a wireless device seeks to gain packet network connectivity, typically after the device first acquires RF connectivity, the device may programmatically send into the carrier's network a message that carries the device's username and password, among other information. An authentication server or other entity in the carrier's network may then validate the username/password (e.g., ensuring that the password is correct, and ensuring that the username is not already in use on the network) and, upon successful validation, may assign an IP address for the device to use. The device may then commence packet data communication via the carrier's network.